Zero Restraint
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: Set post 5.14, no specific time. Kono'd been quiet lately. Too quiet. And it was enough for him to hold onto that restraint just a little tighter. [McKono]


**A/N: Sorry, had to take a small break from Tangled Webs as that last chapter made my eyes cross. But I'm still working on that next chapter, fear not. So… in place of that for now, this was rolling in my head and there is nothing better than a season 5-ish fix it to make everything wonderful. Something simple. *wink wink* Now, I would willingly give this to the writers free and clear, nothing asked for but the promise of Steve/Kono. I think I'm being reasonable… hehehehe!**

**Summary: Set post 5.14, no specific time. Kono'd been quiet lately. Too quiet. And it was enough for him to hold onto that restraint just a little tighter. [McKono]**

**Disclaimer: I own 0 percent of Hawaii Five-0. Otherwise this fic would be the way I swung it.**

* * *

Zero Restraint

* * *

Steve McGarrett had been driving himself crazy. For weeks now. Months maybe… And he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. He'd known the moment when she stepped foot on that damned boat a little over a year ago, the boat that took her away from Hawaii and from _Five-0_, that there would be a significant piece unexpectedly missing.

He just hadn't known _how_ significant.

It had hurt like hell when Catherine left. There was absolutely no denying that. It still stung pretty damn fierce because she'd been a fixture in his life for so long, even as in and out of it has she had been for a good chunk of it. They'd loved each other, yes. But they'd said what they'd needed to say, a closure on something that had meant something to both of them.

Yet, it hadn't been quite as painful as watching Kono sail away into the night with her promise still hanging thick and uncertain in the air. She'd kept the promise, yes. She'd returned to them. But that didn't mean there hadn't been countless nights where he'd laid awake wondering if she would. And now that's she'd officially broken things off with Noshimuri, he'd been wondering different things - most of which he'd had no business wondering about. At least that's what he told himself. And well, truth be told, he'd been wondering long before she broke thinks off with Noshimuri no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

It had been since Day 1, really, on that damned beach. He could freely admit that. That was where the struggle started and had _very_ quickly been reined in under the watchful eye of her cousin, even if that struggle had pulled insistently at the leash every once in a while. But now… it had been long enough. Way too long. That leash was starting to fray from the constant use. _Not_ that he was usually known for his restraint, as Danny would constantly remind him. Steve supposed though, after a bit of reflection, that his restraint would say a whole lot more about the situation than if he resorted to his usual 'act first-think after' modus operandi…

But Kono'd been quiet lately. Too quiet. And it was enough for him to hold onto that restraint just a little tighter than he had been lately.

This last case had been an interesting one: full of death, lies, twists, and turns. A husband had been keeping secrets from his wife, ending up in her nearly dying. But in the end, she stuck with him, despite the fact that he ended up with 10 years of hard time due to his admittedly sideline involvement those very deaths, as well as his numerous lies and cons. Only time would tell if that would be the case years later.

"I think I'm going to go home, have a beer, and try to forget that humanity can not only be depraved and soulless but also just plain weird," Chin said, closing out his files on the smart table. Steve nodded in agreement as he ran a tired hand over his face.

"Yeah, all these years, it still takes me by surprise when someone does something unexpected," Danny agreed.

"That woman nearly died because of her husband's lies, his back alley dealings had gotten two people killed… and most of the money he'd 'made' wasn't even really his," Lou said with a shake of his head, still trying to wrap his mind around it.

"Love conquers all?" Danny said in way of explanation, with a raised eyebrow. Lou let out a small chuckle.

"Doubtful. I got twenty on it not lasting a week," he said. Danny looked thoughtful at the bet. Chin just shook his head with a small smile.

"On that note, I'm out of here. Aloha, comrades," he said before departing.

"Think she knew what kind of guy her husband was before marrying him? Or do you think she just found out now and doesn't know any different, so she's making the best of the situation?" Kono asked quietly. The guys all looked at her for a long moment before Danny shrugged.

"I still like to think love conquers all…" he said in way of a half answer. Lou grinned.

"Says the man who is stupidly in love," the man said. Danny just shrugged and smirked.

"Can't help it if I am," he said of Amber. He gave a quick nod to Lou. "What do you think?"

"Personally, I can't see how she'll stick it out," Lou said, then he looked to Steve. "What say you, McGarrett?" Steve shrugged as he crossed his arms.

"Any way you cut it, the guy's doing 10 years. And his wife has the scars of it all to remind her that it went horribly wrong. Maybe they'll come out stronger for it, or maybe it will finish them for good, who knows?" he said with a shrug. He certainly wasn't one to ask about grand romances.

"What do you think, Kono?" Danny asked, returning the question to her. She just shrugged on of her shoulders.

"I don't know. I guess it was more of a rhetorical question. I thought she was a pretty smart woman…" she said, letting her answer trail off in to ambiguity. They stood in silence for a few minutes, letting the relief of a case resolved finally settle in.

"Well," Danny said, standing up straight and heading towards his office. "I have a daughter to get home to. And quite possibly a girlfriend too, if I can arrange it." Lou shook his head at the bounce in the blond man's step.

"I think that's my cue too. Closing up shop, McGarrett?" he asked. Steve nodded as they all started to depart. He watched Danny and Lou go collect their things and depart with waves, but as Kono brushed by him to go to her office to collect her stuff he quickly reached out and grabbed her hand. She paused, looking down at their hands with a frown that bespoke more of incomprehension than discomfort.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked, setting her hand free again. Kono looked up at him.

"Sure…" She shifted so that she faced him completely, settling one hip against the smart table. Her brown eyes didn't hesitate in locking on his. It was always something he appreciated about her.

"Are you doing alright?" he asked. Her eyebrow rose at the question.

"What makes you think I'm not?" she asked, returning the question with a question. He gave her a look as he, too, leaned a hip on the table next to them.

"We've known each other how long now?" he asked back. Kono shook her head with a chuckle.

"Touché," she said. She crossed her arms in front of her. "I'm… okay. Just thinking over some things."

"You've been quite since…" How did he address this without sounding like an asshole? Right. He really didn't. "… since Adam." The lingering _what happened?_ stayed silent between them. But then again, they hadn't always needed words. Kono let out a breath.

"When I called an end to things, he said some things to me," she told him, looking down to the floor.

"Like what?" he asked, his voice angry enough to border on a growl. She looked up at him.

"No, no, nothing like that," she assured, holding up a hand as if to ward off his thoughts. He gritted his teeth, but he nodded for her to continue. "He just said some things that made me realize that perhaps I wasn't exactly the person I thought I was. He felt that I'd led him on, that I'd never been serious about the relationship…"

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, incredulous. The woman in front of him had left her _life_ behind in order to be with the man she loved. How was that not serious? Kono chuckled at his response.

"It's likely true enough, upon a bit of self-reflection," she told him, giving him a quick, lopsided smile. "He said that I'd never been able to truly commit, even after he'd given up everything and gone legitimate. Granted, going legitimate should have never hung on _me_, anyway. I sincerely hope that it was just a parting shot on his end, and not what he was trying to imply."

Steve gave her a look that said pretty much the same thing.

"But, if it was what he was implying, then all the more reason to break it off. Another on the list, anyway," she said, another half-smile gracing her face. There was a small silence again, and she took a breath. "He'd asked me to marry him."

Steve's eyes widened as he looked at her. It was the first he'd heard about it. "When?" If the word felt dry and brittle in his mouth, he tried to ignore it.

"About six months ago or so?" Kono thought back. Then her eyes caught on his again. "I'd accepted a few months later."

She'd… accepted.

"OK." His brain wasn't working anymore. She'd outright short-circuited all thought. He could hear her chuckle wryly as he thought of something, _anything_ else to say.

"So, you can imagine he wasn't exactly pleased that out of the blue I basically told him it was over," she continued, looking down to where her hand lay on the smart table.

"Are you regretting it now?" he asked, curious as to the full extent of her thought processes. Her dark head shook in the negative before she looked back up at him.

"Not in the way I think you mean," she said. He raised an eyebrow in question. She smirked. "If anything, I regret being with him so long. _Leading him on_, if you will. I loved him, but back then I didn't realize it wasn't going to be forever. It's my only defense."

"You shouldn't have to defend your feelings," he told her simply. The smirk she'd given him a moment before turned into a soft smile. Steve let out a breath. "Did Chin know? About you being engaged?"

"No," she replied. Okay, so that made him feel a _bit_ better. She shifted where she stood. "I guess that should pretty much say everything about it. Shouldn't I have been excited about it? Wanted everyone to know? Thrown a party or shouted it from the rooftops? Or at least thought about doing that? My hesitation in itself should have been enough, but I think keeping the engagement to myself was how I know this was the right thing to do." Her resolute nod punctuated that last statement.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. The end of a relationship is never pretty," he said. He'd know that, well enough. And the look in her eyes says that she recognized that in him as well.

"What is they say, Boss? Every relationship teaches you something to make you better for the next?" she asked. He tilted his head in agreement.

"I'll have to take your word for it," he said. "I don't read those magazines…"

Kono let out a laugh as she reached out to slap his shoulder. He just grinned at the lightened mood.

"C'mon, let's get outta here," he said nodding towards the door. She grinned back before she nodded and went to go collect her things. He watched her for a few more seconds before deciding that it was the best place to leave it for the night.

* * *

Their time off was short lived as they were called in early the next morning. Armed robbery gone wrong at one of the big name hotels. The reason they'd been called in instead of HPD was that it involved a wealthy international couple with ties to Swedish royalty. A personal call from the royal palace to the governor had Five-0 clocking in.

It turned out to be just a run-of-the-mill type of case, or as run-of-the-mill as you can get in Five-0, and was easily solved in just a day and a half. But that didn't mean there hadn't been the standard perp chase, gunfire, and the inevitable hold-your-breath moment.

Their perp this time around had certainly not been the overly sophisticated type. Nor was he very bright. He had sectioned himself off on the second floor of a seedy-looking hotel. The pay-by-the-hour type. Danny and Chin had gone up one side of the building, Kono and Lou took the staircase on the other side. Steve and a couple of HPD officers kept the perp engaged from below, each taking cover behind the available vehicles where they could. HPD, along with Steve, Chin and Danny provided enough distraction that Lou and Kono could approach from their direction undetected. Lou held back, providing cover fire, as Kono lead the charge to disarm. She snuck in, wrapping one arm around the man's neck and the other to control his gun arm before she took him to the ground, a move she'd utilized a million times successfully. But it took only the space of a few seconds for things to go from under control to out of control. The perp's fight or flight instincts kicked into overdrive.

"Kono!" Chin's voice cried out in concerned warning. Steve directed his gaze from reloading his gun to her just in time to watch as the perp wrestled with her over the gun, grabbed her hair in a last ditch effort to put her off… and wrestled them right over the railing. It was like in slow motion to him… he could see her long arms reaching out to grasp for something, _anything_… and missing. His heart stopped as he heard the perp make impact with the edge of the garbage dumpster that had lay below. The pained grunt she made when she landed fully in the dumpster was loud and very clear to his ears. Time decided to return to normal at that point.

HPD officers rushed in and quickly surrounded the perp, pulling him carefully down from where he hung off the edge. The man wasn't going anywhere on his own, from the looks of things. He could see Danny and Lou look worriedly down into the metal container and he met Chin in a rushed frenzy at the base of the dumpster before they both used all the strength they had to push open the heavy duty latches and open the container to allow them access. Danny yelled for the EMTs before he and Lou quickly made their way down to where Steve and Chin were frantically pulling garbage bags out to try to find her.

"Kono!" Steve called, fighting down panic.

"Kono, where are you?" Chin's voice wavered slightly. She answered them both after a few seconds with a heartfelt groan and shifted, pushing bags out towards them so she could maneuver. The relief in Steve's chest was sudden and swift, almost painful.

"I'm okay," she called to them, crawling stiffly towards their voices. When both men could see her, they both held out hands to her. Kono took them, and her slight weight was quickly pulled the rest of the way out of the metal container. The EMTs that had stood off to the side now approached, pushing Chin and Steve to the sidelines and asking her the expected questions before gently leading her towards the ambulance in order to do a more in-depth examination. Steve watched her go for a moment before turning to the other EMTs loading the prone body of their suspect onto a stretcher. After a long moment of searching for a pulse, one of the EMTs shook his head.

"He probably landed wrong, broke something vital," the man said to Steve. "We'll get him to the ME's office for official cause of death…"

Steve nodded, jaw tight, before going to close out the scene with Duke and HPD.

* * *

When Kono stepped out of the HQ locker room about an hour later, he was waiting, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked as he stood straight to face her properly. It was the first time he'd seen her since she'd been led off by the EMTs at the scene. Kono nodded.

"Yeah, just a few scrapes and bruises here and there and some sore ribs from how I landed," she told him with a smile.

"You scared the hell outta me," he said with a frown. Kono raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at him.

"That was low on the usual intensity scale, Boss," she said with a small smile. Steve shook his head as he stepped close enough that he could reach out and brush the hair away from her jawline so he could get a better look at one of those so-called scrapes. Her eyes were locked on him as his eyes looked it over, giving it his own inspection.

"Doesn't matter," he said gently. "Watching you fall… It was one of the worst feelings I've ever had. And I've had more than a few of those when it comes to you." After he said that, he looked up at her to see her watching him. Kono was silent for a moment as she processed that.

"B…" His hand quickly went up to cover her mouth, stepping even closer to her.

"No… this conversation, Kono, I don't want that word in it, okay?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow, and then pointedly looked down at his hand. He rolled his eyes before taking it off. Steve didn't step back though. Nothing could make him. Not right now. Restraint has snapped the leash and was gleefully running away. After that afternoon, he couldn't blame it.

"Steve…" It was said softly. Knowingly.

"I know what you're going to say and if you think I haven't thought this out, ad nauseum and down to the finest detail of what it could all mean, then you're crazier than Danny _thinks_ _I_ am," he said with a small huff. Kono gave him a look as she took a step closer to him, letting their bodies brush teasingly.

"I know you, Steve. If you don't think I know that…" she prompted. Steve let out a shaky breath before letting a hand run down her bare arm. The look in her eyes told him that she knew this conversation was going to happen, and that she wasn't going to shy from it. It was another thing he appreciated about her.

That conversation just wasn't going to be right then, unfortunately, as Steve's phone rang. Their moment was broken, but there was still that current of something in the air. Steve closed his eyes and let out a small, disbelieving chuckle before connecting the call. What were another few hours, or days even, after five _years_?

"McGarrett…" he answered, dropping his hand from her. Steve listened to dispatch attentively, but could not help but notice she had not stepped away. When he hung up, he looked up to meet her unflinching gaze.

"We gotta go. Suspected bomb in Mililani," he said with a sigh of frustration. Kono smiled.

"Duty calls," she told him, squeezing his forearm quickly before heading out to the case room. As Steve emerged behind her, Chin looked at them both with a questioning eyebrow from where he stood at the controls. Lou stood next to the other man, a small, knowing smirk on his face. Steve had to give the Chicagoan credit, it was obvious that he had his suspicions of him for a while but had wisely stayed silent about it. Danny, for his part, just bounced slightly on the balls of his feet with his hands in his pockets, impatiently waiting for his partner.

* * *

This case took a little longer. Their perp had been overly cautious… covering a double homicide with a homemade bomb that had nearly obliterated any and all usable evidence. Unfortunately, it took two more homicides, both with the same M.O., before they caught a workable trail. Their suspect was devolving quickly, which only meant he would make more mistakes.

Kono, who'd been outranked by all the males on the team and put on office duty the first couple of days of the investigation due to the garbage dumpster incident, finally found a connection between all of the victims on the fourth day in which they had shared boat tours taken out of Barbers Point Harbor. After a series of interviews, Lou and Chin had found that one of the employees that worked with the tour company had a history of erratic behavior and strange outbursts with customers.

Fresh warrant in hand, the team had gone to investigate at their suspect's home, only to find that he wasn't there. But they'd found a variety of pill bottles – all of them full.

"Prescriptions were filled three weeks ago. I think it's safe to say that our guy is off his meds," Danny said to them, shaking the full pill bottle for effect. A sudden sound from the back of the house had all of them on alert.

"Danny, call in backup. If this is the guy, who knows what he has back there," Steve said while surveying the backyard, nodding to Kono who followed behind him. Lou and Chin tailed them. Danny was already on the phone as they stepped out to the backyard, weapons raised.

Steve nodded to Chin for him and Lou to take the garage. He and Kono would take the couple of outbuildings along the back edge of the property. As they got closer, he could see the property connected to what appeared to be a defunct commercial property.

"We could use some backup. Our guy could be anywhere on the next property," Steve said into his comm.

"Copy that. Garage was clear," Chin's voice told him. Steve nodded to Kono to take lead. He'd cover her. They quickly went through the two sheds on property. Nothing there. Steve nodded towards the chain link fence, where a hole was cut through, big enough for an adult male to fit into. Kono ducked through first, Steve followed close behind.

"Four buildings," Kono said into her comm as she surveyed the crumbling pieces of architecture.

"We've got the ones on the left," Steve confirmed. "Chin, Lou, Danny, you've got right."

"Copy…"

Steve took point and led them to the closest building. The door was non-existent, so Kono covered him from the side as he went through. The space was dusty and pretty much empty. He checked under some rusty benches, otherwise, there was nowhere else for anyone to hide.

"Clear," he said quietly. Kono nodded and led the way out. They heard a noise from behind the next building, and sharing a quick look, the both took off in a jog in that direction. Kono peeked around the corner to see a large, open delivery area littered with rotted crates and delivery equipment. A man crouched in the middle as he was adjusting something in the bag in front of him. Kono indicated to Steve the man was there. Steve nodded and raised his weapon. He stepped around her and into the area. Kono followed suit a few steps behind him and beginning to circle around to the side to get a clearer look at their suspect.

"Hands up, Five-0," Steve ordered, holding his gun up higher and looked the man over for a gun. Their suspect slowly stood, taking his bag with him, but did nothing else to indicate he'd heard Steve.

"Turn around," Kono told the man. That was the only thing the man seemed to hear as he slowly turned to face them. The bag he was holding in his hands was more dangerous than any gun as both Kono and Steve registered the wires darting in and out of the material.

"Nice to see you, officers," the man said, a serene smile on his face even as tears rolled down his face. He lifted the strap to loop it around his neck and took out a small remote from his pocket.

"Don't… move…" Steve told him.

"Chin," Kono said to her comm. "Where's bomb squad?"

"On its way, cuz, we've got a situation…" he said. Kono gave Steve a quick look out of the corner of her eye. They had a situation _here_…

"I strongly suggest you put down your weapons, Five-0," the perp told them.

"Not going to happen. You need to put down that remote," Steve said. The perp shook his head.

"I'm afraid that won't happen either."

"You killed the Petersons, the Hawikas, and the McIntosh family," Steve told him. The man in front of them nodded slowly.

"I did. They wouldn't listen to me," he said, his voice small as his fingers fidgeted over the piece of plastic in his hand. "No one listens to me."

"We're here, we're listening," Kono told him, her voice low and calm as if talking to a child. The perp didn't even appear to be listening to her as his face screwed up into a fierce look of anguish.

"If they'd just done what I'd asked! If they'd just _heard_ me!" the man cried, tears continuing to roll down his already sweaty face.

"Think about it, _this_ isn't going to get you what you want. We're hearing you now," Steve told him. The situation was more dire than he'd anticipated… there was very little distance between the man and where they stood. If the bomb went off it wouldn't likely kill them outright, but it would be enough for some pretty serious damage.

"Shit," Kono muttered as something settled on the man's face. She lifted her firearm higher in preparation to shoot as the man's fidgeting increased. "Steve… if we shoot for a safe spot, he can still push the button…"

This was an unwinnable situation. Suicide by the man's own hand or suicide by cop. Neither was a suitable outcome. And talking was getting them nowhere.

"No, I won't get what I want. But it will end it…" was all their suspect said. Then a look of pure hopelessness and resolve slid over the sweaty features as he suddenly started sprinting in their direction. There was no choice in the matter now, Steve made a snap decision and shot him – one quick in the leg and another in the arm that held the detonator. It put the man down where he was, as intended, but it was as Kono said… any sort of safe shot wasn't going to do anything for them in the end, no matter what he'd hoped. So he quickly grabbed Kono's arm and pulled her in his direction as he ran for anything that could cover them… they'd maybe gotten all of 30 or 40 feet when the explosion went off, propelling them forward as the blast wave hit them.

* * *

The dust was still settling, and his ears were still ringing, as he turned his head to see her form laying a few feet away. With a pained groan, he turned himself so that he could crawl the distance over to her.

"Kono…" he coughed out, his hand reaching out to run over her back. He could feel her shift under that hand and he let out a breath of relief when he heard her own pained groan. Steve could go years without hearing that particular sound from her, happily. She turned her head towards him, her eyes squinting at him to make out his shape.

"I don't want to look," she said of their suspect. He didn't either. So instead he just collapsed onto the cement next to her his hand still on her back, his body lying alongside hers close enough that his leg tangled over hers. And they just stared at each other for a quiet moment. Kono shifted to her side, him following suit slowly as she reached out a hand to run over the cut above his eyebrow, then down his cheek to his jaw where he now displayed a lovely example of road rash from his impact with the ground.

"I know what you meant before," she said quietly, before letting her hand run down further and grip at the neck of his Kevlar vest. "I've always known what you meant. I just…"

Steve shook his head. She didn't have to explain. Not a single thing. It simply didn't matter anymore. So, instead, he leaned forward and did the only thing that _did_ matter – something he should have done days, months, lifetimes ago. He kissed her. He kissed her slowly, taking his goddamn time because it was well-earned. And Kono returned it with feeling. When they finally pulled back to breathe, they rested their foreheads together, arms wrapped tight around each other, finally allowing themselves the luxury of basking in their relief. Together. They didn't need to say it – _I love you_ – because it was there in the silence. It had always been there in the silence. Besides, there was time enough later, for when they really were alone. In any event, they heard Danny's arrival before the saw it.

"Steve! Kono! Where the hell are you?! You'd better not be _dead_! I can't do this twice in under a week!" the familiar, panicked voice wafted through the crater of destruction they lay in.

"Over here," Steve called back, not caring to get up. Another moment wouldn't hurt, as he shifted to his back and stared up at the blue Hawaiian sky. Kono apparently agreed with his silent assessment as she shifted with him, her head lying naturally on his shoulder and her hand still gripping at the neck of his vest. He simply covered her hand with his.

Danny skidded to a halt a few feet from them.

"Well, well. That old, classic tale…" he said, holstering his gun and staring at the couple on the ground with a distinct lack of surprise at their positions. "Boy meets girl, boy blows something up, impresses girl, and commence with the fireside, crime-scene canoodling."

Steve tightens his hold on Kono but stares up at Danny. "I didn't blow anything up, Danno…"

Danny snorted his disbelief. "Not believable, my friend. You, sir, have a track record. A very long one, I might add."

"I didn't. So your whole… _scenario_? Doesn't work," Steve said, more than content to lay on the ground yet with Kono tucked into his side. Danny shakes his head skyward for a second.

"Doesn't work, he says. Well, I have all the evidence in front of me," he said, pointing to the burning wreckage around them. Kono lifted her head to look at him.

"He didn't blow anything up, Danny," she confirmed. "We found the perp. He had a bomb, he blew himself up. Tried to take us with him at the last second. I'm sure if you'd stop staring at _us_ and start looking around, your superior detecting skills can confirm that." Danny stared at the two for a moment before rolling his eyes and nodding his head.

"Alright, yeah, okay. Good story for the grandkids. I'll go give the clean-up crew their cue. Chin and Lou found the guy's stash. Bomb squad just got here and is looking through it now. But first let's go get your pyrotechnic-loving butts checked out by EMS. Get another punch on that discount card," he said, holding a hand out for Steve. The other man took it gratefully and pulled himself up. He turned and held out his hand for Kono to take. When she was standing, he pulled her close again by wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, there goes 100 hard-earned dollars for a lot of people," Danny muttered, watching the two of them.

"What are you talking about, Danny?" Kono asked, her arm wrapping around Steve's waist as she leaned into him.

"In the pool. I had bet earlier, but you two crazy kids had to be all stubborn and prove me wrong…" he grumbled. Steve looked over his shoulder at his friend.

"There was a pool? On us?" he asked, frowning. Danny chuckled.

"Of course there was a pool, you moron," he said. "It was pretty damn inevitable."

"Since when?" Kono asked with a frown of her own. Danny's eyebrows were very nearly in his hairline, surprised she even had to ask.

"Since Day 1, kiddo," he said with a grin. "Day 1, might I remind you, when you went undercover, stripped to your unmentionables, and then proceeded to take out a room full of men pretty much on your own. That's what it takes to impress this machine we affectionately call Steve."

"That was _years _ago," Kono noted, confused.

"_Yeah_, now you know our collective frustration," Danny told them with a huff. Then he looked between the two. "C'mon, you can't tell me that there wasn't something there even back then… I wasn't making all the jokes about you guys dating and shit for nothing." Kono and Steve didn't answer, but their grips on the other tightened and it was confirmation enough. Danny shook his head.

"Maybe I should have said soldier boy meets tough girl in bikini, thus commencing the weirdest courtship in the history of courtships _ever_," Danny observed. This actually prompted chuckles from the two in front of him. He shook his head.

"I honestly can't believe it took this long," he muttered. "Between the two of you there is usually _zero_ restraint… _negative_ amounts of restraint, even."

"Shut up, Danno." When Steve looked over his shoulder at him with an entirely-too-pleased grin, Danny realized it hadn't been his partner that said it. He groaned.

"Crap."

And so it began. HPD was going to need another pool.

* * *

The End

**A/N: Hope you liked it... just something fairly simple. ;)**


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